Fluid loss valve and packer assembly

ABSTRACT

A fluid loss control valve and packer assembly including a fluid loss control valve, a packer disposed adjacent the fluid loss control valve, a hydraulic opening module operably connected to the valve, and a port associated with the hydraulic opening module and positioned to be exposed to annulus pressure during use. A method for operating a fluid loss control valve in an assembly.

BACKGROUND

In the subsurface resource recovery industry, and particularly in borehole based recovery operations, fluid loss control valves are employed with hydraulic operating modules. These are commonly operated to prevent fluid loss to the formation after a running tool is removed from the borehole. Such valves are generally closed by a shifting tool that is a part of the running tool that engages a profile as the running tool is withdrawn from the borehole thereby dragging the profile with the shifting tool resulting in the closure of the valve. Such valves may again be opened using pressure cycling in the tubing of the system. The systems used today are generally long and require large power springs to ensure cycling occurs properly to actuate the valve to the open position when it is desired to open the valve.

In an ever tightening economic climate related to hydrocarbon recovery, the art would well receive enhancements that increase efficiency and/or reduce cost.

SUMMARY

A fluid loss control valve and packer assembly including a fluid loss control valve, a packer disposed adjacent the fluid loss control valve, a hydraulic opening module operably connected to the valve, and a port associated with the hydraulic opening module and positioned to be exposed to annulus pressure during use.

A method for operating a fluid loss control valve in an assembly as in any prior embodiment including moving a piston where differential pressure across the piston is defined by a tubing pressure on one side and annulus pressure uphole of the packer on the other side, counting piston movement cycles with the module, and cycling the valve when a selected number of piston cycles is met.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a fluid loss valve and packer assembly in a run in position;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the fluid loss valve and packer assembly of FIG. 1 in a valve-closed position;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the fluid loss valve and packer assembly of FIG. 1 in a valve-closed, production string landed position;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the fluid loss valve and packer assembly of FIG. 1 in a valve-opened for production position;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a port position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating another port position; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating yet another port position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.

Referring to FIG. 1, a run-in position of the fluid loss control valve and packer assembly 10 disclosed herein is illustrated. Components included are a valve 12, which may be a ball valve in some embodiments; a packer 14 comprising a body 16, an element 18 and slips 20; a linkage 22 and profile 24 configured to physically move the valve 12 to a closed position from an open position; a hydraulic opening module 26, having a piston arrangement 28, a counter 30 and in some embodiments a power spring 32, and a seal bore 34.

It is to be appreciated that the valve 12 and hydraulic opening module 26 are similar to those available commercially from Baker Hughes, Houston, Tex. under product family number H48788 and accordingly substantial detail regarding the same is unnecessary in this document.

Attention is directed to the packer 14 and its position concentric with the sump space 13 of the valve 12. In prior art assemblies generally similar to the function hereof, one will anticipate to see an extended sump in the location where the packer 14 is located herein. The sump is known to be necessary to allow for tools to be withdrawn from the valve 12 prior to closing the same with the profile 24 and linkage 22. This effectively dead space in prior art assemblies is costly, makes the overall assembly significantly longer and more difficult to manage and increases the cost of the assembly. The inventors hereof have discovered that a packer may be positioned in this location without detrimental effect on the operation of the valve 12 and hence have effected a reduction in the length of the assembly while also reducing the cost thereof.

It is further presented herein that the hydraulic opening module 26 be provided with a port 36 exposed to annulus pressure. The port is to be exposed to annulus pressure uphole of the packer 14. The port 36 provides an opportunity to use annulus pressure to cycle the hydraulic opening module, if desired. In addition, the positioning of the port 36 is advantageous over the prior art systems because by positioning the port with exposure to an annular space that is hydraulically connected to surface, i.e. above the packer 14, the pressure in the annulus can at least be known and ideally can also be controlled. That the annulus pressure at the port 36 is known ensures that needed differential pressure from the tubing in order to cycle the hydraulic opening module 26 can be properly achieved and ensure that cycling occurs. This is far superior to prior art assemblies where differential pressure across the hydraulic opening module would be pressure below a prior art packer. While pressure in the location below the packer and valve of such prior art assemblies is known as the running tool is withdrawn from the borehole, after the valve is closed, the pressure in that area may change due to leakoff to the formation or fluid pressure migration toward the borehole causing the pressure in that location to rise. In either case, the pressure differential required to cycle may need to be significantly different than anticipated from the pressure measurements taken by pressure transducers or calculated hydrostatic pressure. Many prior art configurations of the module then would use large power springs. These add expense to the assembly and hence are undesirable.

In the present assembly, since the annulus pressure is known and in some cases adjustable, the differential is more closely controllable and the power spring 32 may be downsized or even eliminated in some embodiments. Each of these conditions reduces costs of the assembly and is therefore beneficial to the art.

It is further to be understood that the hydraulic opening module 26 may be located above the packer 14, at the packer 14 or below the packer 14 provided that the port 36 is always exposed to annulus pressure above the packer 14. It is also to be understood that the valve 12 may be above, at or below the packer 14 as desired, again with the caveat that the assembly must provide for annulus pressure above the packer 14 to be available to the module 26. This may be accomplished in some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 5-7, with an annular flow space 40 within the assembly 10; with a control line 42 extending through the assembly 10; or simply an opening through a wall of the assembly 10 (illustrated simply as the port 36 itself) depending upon where the piston 28 (for j-slot/ratchet/etc. cycling) is located relative to the packer 14. Also note that because of the configuration of FIGS. 5-7, the port 36 can be positioned a long distance uphole of the packer 14. This may be of value where debris is an issue since if the port 36 is close to the valve 12 and debris occludes the port 36, difficulty may be experienced in cycling the counter 30. Placing the port 36 higher in the borehole 44 can be beneficial in avoiding interference from debris.

In operation, referring to FIGS. 1-4, the assembly 10 is run downhole and the packer 14 is set against a borehole 44. The valve 12 is open for the passage of the running tool (not shown). Borehole activities are undertaken after which the running tool is withdrawn and in so doing, the 12 is closed through the action of the profile 24 engaging a shifting tool on the running tool (not shown) and pulling the linkage 22. The assembly 10 is hence in the condition shown in FIG. 2. Later when appropriate, a production string 46 is run having production seals 50 thereon that land in seal bore 34 as shown in FIG. 3. Once the production seals 50 are present, there is pressure isolation between the tubing of the production string 46 and the annulus 52. Pressure cycling may be undertaken at any time utilizing a differential between the tubing pressure within the production string 46 and annulus pressure in the annulus 52. Either the tubing may be pressured up upon or the annulus may be pressured up upon as desired to create the differential pressure and move the piston 28 to cycle the counter 30. It should be noted that because of the exposure of the port 36 to annulus pressure above the packer 14, this assembly allows for annulus activation of the module 26 when heretofore such actuation was not possible or even contemplated. The differential pressure created either by raising tubing pressure and/or raising annulus pressure cycles to the counter 30 a number of times that is generally a preset value input by the operator. When the desired number of cycles has been achieved, the module 26 will open the valve 12 thereby enabling production through valve 12 as shown in FIG. 4. It is noted that the hydraulic opening module 26 may be a resectable type or a non-resettable type as selected during manufacture.

Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:

Embodiment 1: A fluid loss control valve and packer assembly including a fluid loss control valve, a packer disposed adjacent the fluid loss control valve, a hydraulic opening module operably connected to the valve, and a port associated with the hydraulic opening module and positioned to be exposed to annulus pressure during use.

Embodiment 2: An assembly as in any prior embodiment wherein the loss control valve is a ball valve.

Embodiment 3: An assembly as in any prior embodiment wherein the packer is disposed concentrically with sump space of the valve.

Embodiment 4: An assembly as in any prior embodiment wherein the hydraulic opening module is resettable.

Embodiment 5: An assembly as in any prior embodiment wherein the hydraulic opening module is non-resettable.

Embodiment 6: An assembly as in any prior embodiment wherein the port is connected to the hydraulic opening module via a control line.

Embodiment 7: An assembly as in any prior embodiment wherein the port is connected to the hydraulic opening module via an annular flow space.

Embodiment 8: An assembly as in any prior embodiment wherein the port is connected to the hydraulic opening module through a wall of the module.

Embodiment 9: A method for operating a fluid loss control valve in an assembly as in any prior embodiment including moving a piston where differential pressure across the piston is defined by a tubing pressure on one side and annulus pressure uphole of the packer on the other side, counting piston movement cycles with the module, and cycling the valve when a selected number of piston cycles is met.

Embodiment 10: The method as in any prior embodiment further including porting annulus pressure uphole of the packer to the module.

Embodiment 11: The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the porting is through a control line.

Embodiment 12: The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the porting is through an annular flow space.

Embodiment 13: The method as in any prior embodiment further including controlling annulus pressure.

Embodiment 14: The method as in any prior embodiment further including cycling annulus pressure.

Embodiment 15: The method as in any prior embodiment further including cycling tubing pressure.

Embodiment 16: The method as in any prior embodiment further including cycling tubing and annulus pressure.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should further be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity).

The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A fluid loss control valve and packer assembly comprising: a fluid loss control valve; a packer disposed adjacent the fluid loss control valve; a hydraulic opening module operably connected to the valve; and a port associated with the hydraulic opening module and positioned to be exposed to annulus pressure during use.
 2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the loss control valve is a ball valve.
 3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the packer is disposed concentrically with sump space of the valve.
 4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydraulic opening module is resettable.
 5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydraulic opening module is non-resettable.
 6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the port is connected to the hydraulic opening module via a control line.
 7. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the port is connected to the hydraulic opening module via an annular flow space.
 8. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the port is connected to the hydraulic opening module through a wall of the module.
 9. A method for operating a fluid loss control valve in an assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising: moving a piston where differential pressure across the piston is defined by a tubing pressure on one side and annulus pressure uphole of the packer on the other side; counting piston movement cycles with the module; and cycling the valve when a selected number of piston cycles is met.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further including porting annulus pressure uphole of the packer to the module.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the porting is through a control line.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the porting is through an annular flow space.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 9 further including controlling annulus pressure.
 14. The method as claimed in claim 9 further including cycling annulus pressure.
 15. The method as claimed in claim 9 further including cycling tubing pressure.
 16. The method as claimed in claim 9 further including cycling tubing and annulus pressure. 